Withstanding the best that Besiktas could throw at them on the pitch and the missiles hurled at them from the stands, Chelsea last night secured a win through Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Wayne Bridge. The victory guaranteed them top place in their group and was deserved after they defended with discipline and controlled a game which witnessed several crowd incidents.

Besiktas are certain to face Uefa censure for their fans' behaviour. Missiles, including lighters, were thrown on to the pitch, notably at Hasselbaink as he prepared to take corners and then at Chelsea's players as they celebrated their first goal. The people on Chelsea's bench ended up behind umbrellas to prevent themselves being hit by anything, but a flare did make its way into the area housing Chelsea's fans.

Moreover, the referee took the players off for three minutes before starting the second half because so many streamers had been hurled into one corner of the pitch that it was unplayable. The streamers continued to rain down despite pleas in Turkish over the Tannoy and the match restarted more than five minutes late with stewards still clearing paper off the field.

Nothing, though, could distract Chelsea. With their unexpected back three defending well and Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard dominant in midfield, they barely allowed Besiktas a chance and their late strikes were no surprise.

Chelsea came here already assured of a place in the next round and needing only a point to guarantee top spot, yet they can hardly have expected a straightforward night after Besiktas' 2-0 win a Stamford Bridge just over two months ago.

Much to Besiktas' anger, the match had been moved by Uefa to Gelsenkirchen after the recent bombings in Istanbul but their travelling fans and the large Turkish population in Germany made this a 52,000 sell-out, with only a tiny contingent from Chelsea caged in one corner.

It felt like Istanbul had been transported for the night. "Uefa!!! Give teror no chance," said one banner. The spelling may have been dodgy but the message was a clear expression of annoyance in Besiktas circles at the change of venue.

Claudio Ranieri, true to form, had made changes and these were dramatic even by his standards. After Chelsea's home defeat by Besiktas he was widely criticised for using a back three for the first time this season but the Italian employed the system again here, having not done so in between.

The thinking was presumably to keep as close an eye as possible on the three narrow forwards Besiktas use, with two of them coming up in support of Ilhan Mansiz. For five minutes Besiktas poured forward but it was not long before Chelsea established a real foothold. Makelele and Lampard were breaking things up in midfield and the defence was largely dominant. It was 23 minutes before Carlo Cudicini had a shot to save and he was not seriously worried until just before half-time.

That was a sign that Chelsea were broadly in control, though they were not posing a great attacking threat of their own. With Adrian Mutu asked to start on the bench, probably because he was a booking from missing the next European match, Jesper Gronkjaer was asked to play in an unusual position up front alongside Hasselbaink.

A few times the Dane's willingness to go wide offered a useful outlet but it was asking a lot of him to flourish with his link-up play or with his back to goal. Chelsea's best oppportunity fell to Celestine Babayaro after an error by Havutcu Tayfur but the wing-back's effort was blocked by the goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba.

Ilhan Mansiz needed treatment to a head wound after being caught - unintentionally, it seemed - by John Terry's elbow. And Besiktas ought to have drawn first blood just before the interval. Daniel Pancu somehow avoided an offside flag but then blazed wildly over.

Besiktas were disappointing given that they needed to win to be sure of progressing. Chelesa looked the likelier scorers as crosses came in. Hasselbaink duly delivered after 77 minutes when he scored from Damien Duff's pass and then the striker set up Bridge to make certain.